At least six House Democrats have extended invitations to survivors of Jeffrey Epstein to attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday evening.
Among them is Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is one of the co-authors of the Epstein Transparency Act, legislation that has led to the disclosure of millions of documents concerning the politically influential financier.
Ro Khanna to bring Haley Robson
In a statement, Khanna mentioned that he will be bringing Haley Robson, who has alleged that Epstein began trafficking her when she was just 16, as his guest to the address during the joint session of Congress.
“Haley’s courageous fight is proof that this isn’t about politics, it’s about exposing America’s two-tiered system of justice and bringing accountability to the Epstein class involved in the horrific abuse of young girls,” Khanna stated. “She and her fellow survivors’ bravery was the catalyst for changing a rotten system and finally standing up for humanity and American values.”
After receiving the honor, Robson stated, “I’m honored and it came as a wonderful surprise to have been invited.”
Several survivors of Epstein have expressed criticism towards the Trump administration regarding its management of the Epstein case and the subsequent release of documents. Some have alleged that the Justice Department has not taken sufficient action to prosecute potential accomplices of Epstein, while also redacting the names of certain individuals in the released files. Additionally, others have voiced concerns that the Justice Department infringed upon their rights and breached the Epstein Transparency Act by not redacting all of their names in the documents.
Dani Bensky and James Walkinshaw
While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is set to bring Dani Bensky, a ballerina who endured Epstein’s assault, Northern Virginia Congressman James Walkinshaw announced his plans to bring Jess Michaels.
Michaels alleges that she was sexually abused by Epstein in 1991 when she was 22 years old.
“For far too long, truth has been buried, survivors have been silenced, and powerful people have been protected. And I can’t help but wonder…does our government belong to the American people or to those who prey on them?” stated Michaels.
Michaels is a TEDx speaker and advocate for survivors, as well as the founder of 3Joannes, Inc., where she developed the 3Js Sexual Assault First Aid Kit™ and the #WithYouToo Social Safety app.
Trump and Epstein friendship
Epstein’s connection to President Donald Trump has long been known, but the extent of their relationship has been much more apparent since the Department of Justice began making public records pertaining to its investigation into the late, disgraced financier.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on significantly more serious charges of sex trafficking after being found guilty in 2008 on charges that many saw as mild. According to reports, he committed suicide in a cell in the New York City-based Metropolitan Correctional Center.
The disclosures from the Epstein files have caused considerable upheaval within the corridors of power — implicating politicians from both past and present administrations, as well as some of the most notable business leaders and intellectuals globally.
The Democratic Party has not been spared, with both Bill and Hillary Clinton featured among the more notable names in the files, along with prominent figures from the Obama administration such as Larry Summers, among others.
